Author: Gold, Sonia S.

Publication Year: 1979

Media Type: Book

Summary:

Paper presented at First International Conference on Arts and Economics, sponsored by the Association for Cultural Economics, held in Edinburgh, Scotland, August 8-10, 1979. The inadequate analytical and data foundations of arts policy affect a wide range of policy issues, but they seem to be especially severe with respect to demand. The unwelcome reality is that our understanding of the factors which function as determinants of arts demand is still severely limited. Recognition of this problem does not seem to be widespread nor is its correction regarded as urgent.

Abstract:

Paper presented at First International Conference on Arts and Economics, sponsored by the Association for Cultural Economics, held in Edinburgh, Scotland, August 8-10, 1979. Comment by Gregory B. Christainsen, p. 159-160.

The inadequate analytical and data foundations of arts policy affect a wide range of policy issues, but they seem to be especially severe with respect to demand. The unwelcome reality is that our understanding of the factors which function as determinants of arts demand is still severely limited. Recognition of this problem does not seem to be widespread nor is its correction regarded as urgent.

The ideas to be examined herein are organized on the basis of a four-way classification:

1. those which involve broad generalizations about the impact of the culture and the economy on arts demand, specifically, the work of Scitovsky (1972, 1976) and Linder (1970);
2. those which find a link (however tentative) between arts demand and personal attributes, such as age, income, education, occupation and ethnic and racial affiliation, the work of Baumol and Bowen (1966) serving as prototype;    
3. those which stress supply influences on arts demand such as previous exposure and continuing access, availability of substitutes, and so forth; and
4. those which emphasize the highly specific nature of the product - character of programming, exhibitions and so forth. (p. 150).

CONTENTS
Culture and values as determinants of demand: the Scitovsky thesis.
Economic growth, scarcity of time, and cultural activity: The Linder thesis.
The empirical approach: The Baumol-Bowen study.
Expanded research focus.
The impact of supply on demand.
Notes.
References [bibliography].

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Creative Economies